No matter where you live, you will experience weather of one kind or another every day. If you live in the Antarctic, you will probably have snow. If you live in the tropics, you will have hot days. While the weather behaves exactly as expected on the majority of days, there are times when the weather is so freaky that it behaves in a total unexpected manner, often with drastic results. On these days, you are probably pretty confident that there has never been a day like this one before; but would you be right?
The Biggest Snowstorm in History
In reality, it is difficult, if not impossible to definitively recount the biggest snowstorm in history. For one thing, recording the weather is something fairly new in history. Although the actual totals were never recorded, some believe the worst snowstorm was in 1772, during the time of George Washington, when a blizzard covered the entire mid-Atlantic. Barack Obama declared the blizzard of 2010 the worst that area has ever seen.
But, we will never really know. However, a best guess involves much more than the amount of snow that piled up. People who record the worst storms also factor in the winds and, sadly, the human toll.
In recorded history, the biggest blizzard may have been the one that hit the mid-west in 1967. Chicago and the surrounding area got over 2 feet of snow. In addition to the snowfall, the wind blew at over 50 mph. Almost a foot fell in less than 24 hours. Unfortunately, in order to earn the title, it also meant that over 70 people lost their lives during the blizzard.
The Biggest Hail
Look out Nebraskans. Your state is becoming famous for producing the biggest chunks of hail in history. Until June of 2003, Kansas held the record for a hailstone that measured 5.7 inches in diameter. However, it is believed that the town of Potter, Nebraska had a hailstone that measure 7 inches in diameter, way back in 1928. But, it didn’t count because it wasn’t officially recorded.
So, in 2003, Nebraska decided to make it official for the record books. A hailstone measuring 7 inches in diameter and 17.8 inches in circumference was recovered from Aurora, because some residents decide to preserve the evidence. Almost as big as a soccer ball, the hailstone now has permanent residence at the National Atmospheric Research Center in Boulder Colorado. Way to go Nebraska!